FROM THE GARDEN OF ZEN

March 12, 2026

Tamanawa-zakura (Prunus x yedoensis 'Tamanawa-zakura') flowers: Ofuna Flower Center (Kamakura)

Ume flowers quietly herald the stealthy arrival of spring with their modest beauty and fragrance, while sakura flowers let us know the prime of spring clearly with their magnificent splendor.

The ume flowers have already passed their days of glory and their elegant figures and aromas are beginning to fade quickly. Early-blooming sakura flowers are now appearing successively as the symbolic successors of spring flowers. Mercifully, it makes me forget the sadness of seeing the plum flowers fade away.

The Tamanawa-zakura is an early-blooming cultivar native to Kamakura City. It was developed in 1969 at the Ofuna Flower Center through a natural, accidental mating between the Somei-Yoshino zakura and early-blooming Ookan zakura. This beautiful flower born as a result of God's whim fully blooms from late February to mid-March.

Its distinctive features include a pale pink color similar to that of the Somei-Yoshino zakura and a long blooming period (approximately one month). As a spring flower representing Kamakura, it is widely planted in temples, shrines, and parks throughout this ancient city.

Tamanawa-zakura (Prunus x yedoensis 'Tamanawa-zakura') flowers: Ofuna Flower Center (Kamakura)

Kinkacha (Camellia chrysantha) flower: Ofuna Flower Center (Kamakura)

Sazanka (Camellia sasanqua) flowers: Ofuna Flower Center (Kamakura)

Ume (Japanese apricot) flowers: Ofuna Flower Center (Kamakura)

February 15, 2026

Ume (Japanese apricot) flowers: Ofuna Flower Center (Kamakura)

Although the gloomy winter sky is persisting and the biting cold is showing no sign of retreat, Ume flowers have begun blooming gracefully to let us know of the stealth arrival of spring in the quiet, pale gardens.

These flowers seem still delicate, and their fragrance remains faint. In the depth of winter, I had noticed their buds appearing secretly on the dark, slender twigs, patiently enduring the bitter coldness and dryness of gray winter days.

After weathering the harsh winter, starved birds are beginning to joyfully dance on the flowers and lap up their sweet nectar as if to seek the blessings of the long-awaited spring.

Ume (Japanese apricot) flowers: Ofuna Flower Center (Kamakura)

Ume flowers bloom ahead of all other flowers during the cold months of January to March, before the fresh green leaves emerge. This property is said to be a smart strategy for growth and survival. The absence of foliage allows the flowers to stand out and attract pollinating insects and birds to win the race of pollination in the plant kingdom.

They bloom foremost when the landscape is still flowerless and colorless in the harsh winter. In Japan, they are also called “Haru-tsuge-gusa," which means the plant heralding the arrival of spring at the very beginning in the lingering chill.

Cherished since the Nara and Heian periods in Japan, Ume flowers are known for their sweet fragrance of spring given off in the cold, dry air. Thanks to this elegant scent, we can sense the secret beginning of spring. Furthermore, they bloom admirably amidst the cold of winter, which impresses a virtue of patience and nobleness

Ume (Japanese apricot) flowers: Ofuna Flower Center (Kamakura)

The Ume flower has been admired for its nobleness and endurance since ancient times throughout East Asia, including Japan. This fragrant flower overcomes the coldness of winter and blooms before all other flowers to show the quiet arrival of spring in the chilling air.

This property has long been regarded as an auspicious symbol of rebirth and longevity. Furthermore, its patience in harsh conditions was thought to be the symbol of the dauntless spirit that endures adverse circumstances.

Moreover, its vibrant, competing beauty has been viewed as the metaphor of the exchange of love and the beauty of women. Thus, since ancient times, people have projected various sentiments and ideals onto the Ume flower, its branches, and even its fruit.

Ume (Japanese apricot) flowers: Ofuna Flower Center (Kamakura)

Spring is the highest season of blooming, when various plants and trees successively reach their beautiful flowering peaks, repeating their brief cycles of birth and decay.

Soon, the Ume flowers will scatter quietly, and then splendid cherry blossoms will begin to bloom flourishingly everywhere here.

The seasons change in response to the movement of the earth, and plants repeat their cycle of life depending on the transition of seasons. The annual cycle of plants embodies the universal cycle of birth and death in visible form.

The sprouting in spring represents “birth,” the flourishing in summer represents “growing,” the coloring and falling in autumn represents “change,” and the withering in winter represents "extinction."

This corresponds to the Four Phases (birth, growing, change, and extinction) of the Nirvana Sutra, symbolizing the Mujo (impermanence) of all existence.